United Kingdom | 2014 | 95 minutes | Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard

An enthralling and unclassifiable immersion in the twilight world of Aussie polymath musician Nick Cave. Falling somewhere between fact and fiction, Cave visits a shrink, makes music, digs into his archives, and reminisces with friends in this deconstruction, providing a glimpse of an icon at his most exposed.

Ireland | 2014 | 100 minutes | John Michael McDonagh

Writer-director John Michael McDonagh (2011’s breakout comedy The Guard) reunites with star Brendan Gleeson in this unconventional, darkly comedic detective story about a priest, violently threatened by one of his parishioners during confession, who must confront the dark forces around him.

United Kingdom | 2013 | 76 minutes | Madeleine Sackler

Facing tyranny, KGB raids, and even exile, the members of the Belarus Free Theatre perform their internationally acclaimed, uncensored live dramas as an act of defiance against Europe’s last surviving Communist dictatorship.

United Kingdom | 2013 | 93 minutes | Richard Ayoade

Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg) is a government clerk who encounters his doppelgänger, and is shocked to discover that his more ebullient self has begun elbowing into James’ personal life. This surreal treatment of the Dostoyevsky novella evokes Terry Gilliam’s Brazil.

United Kingdom | 2013 | 93 minutes | Paul Wright

An atmospheric and dreamlike story of survivor’s guilt gone unchecked. Aaron, the sole survivor of a deadly wreck, is plagued by hazy recollections of the event and by his village’s cultural superstition and seafaring folklore.

Ireland | 2014 | 95 minutes | Lenny Abrahamson

The real-life inspired story of Frank, a brilliant and difficult musician who revitalizes an avant-garde pop band but won’t take off a giant papier-mâché head. When wannabe rocker Jon Burrows joins the, clashes and hilarity ensue.

Canada | 2013 | 108 minutes | Oliver Hockenhull

This documentary explores the effects of mind-expanding drugs such as MDMA and LSD and their potential medicinal purposes. Interview footage, psychedelic imagery, and information from decades of studies make From Neurons to Nirvana a must-see feature.

United Kingdom | 2014 | 111 minutes | Stuart Murdoch

Belle & Sebastian leader Stuart Murdoch’s debut film is based on his titular 2009 album, full of the wry themes and brilliant melodies beloved by fans. The coming of age indie pop musical centers on Glaswegian pals Eve, James, and Cassie as they fall in love and form a band, not in that order.

Germany | 2014 | 95 minutes | Nadav Schirman

A Palestinian from Ramallah, Mosab Hassan Yousef grew up ready to fight Israel. As an informant, a decade-long assignment required him to betray his father; a moral conflict that’s the catalytic centerpiece of The Green Prince, based on Yousef’s memoir, “Son of Hamas”.

Nigeria | 2013 | 106 minutes | Biyi Bandele

Based on the eponymous novel, Half of a Yellow Sun follows the lives of two Nigerian sisters in the 1960s who return home after receiving education in England. The tumultuous Nigerian Civil War is the backdrop to this author-approved drama adaptation.

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